“Melissa, come on. You have to eat something,” Jason had to yell or I wouldn’t have heard him, given my perch on the top of an abandoned building.

“I don’t see the point,” I yell back, “I’d rather keep watch.”

“We have sensors that will tell us of their approach way before your eyes will ever be aware of them. Now, come down or I’ll come up and get you.”

I smile to myself, there is no way Jason will come up here, he thinks these things are death traps and wouldn’t risk getting hurt, not today.

“Melissa!”

“Fine!” I yell down and swing perilously down from my seat, using exposed rods and dangling cords to direct my fall. I land next to Jason and he glowers at me.

“You really should be more careful.”

“I love you too,” I shoot him a grin, hoping it will break through his anger. I don’t want us to waste any of our remaining time together.

He pulls me into a hug and I try and picture this moment and what it would have been if the Vossians had never arrived. I would have been home from college, bringing him with me to meet my parents. Today would have been relaxed and fun, filled with delicious food, not the slop we have been eating these last few months. My little brother would have tried to play dinosaurs with Jason, who I would have run off with a squirt gun.

There would have been laughter. A sound I almost forgot.

Instead, my eyes trail to the crystalline Vossian ship, hovering just below the cloud line above our safe haven. Our colony is small, which is probably why it has taken them so long to deal with us, there were bigger fish to fry. We don’t know why they are here, they won’t talk to us, but I can only imagine it is to take over the planet as they have been careful with their weapons, not using anything that will destroy the foliage or animals. Only us.

I am not even sure what they will do to us. All we know is, this ship appears above a town and later that night, all communication is lost.

At least that is a silver lining, I will finally learn what happened to my family.

“They made chocolate cake,” Jason interrupts my thoughts.

“Seriously? Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place?”

“You never asked.”

I punch him, “Why would I? They have been making the same, miserable gruel for months.”

He smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes, “There was no point saving it anymore.”

I try and keep my tone light, “Well, I am not going to let my imminent death destroy the first bite of chocolate I have had in forever, shall we go?”

We start our walk inside but only make it a few steps before the sirens start their call. The Vossians are here. Jason and I start to run, but it is pointless, we only have a few seconds before a blinding white light overtakes us. We stop and blink, trying to get the burn of light out of our eyes so we can fight, or at least do something.

When my eyes clear, I am greeted by something I never expected. We were transported to some sort of sterile looking building. All the people from my colony are here and unharmed. I grasp Jason’s hand as a voice carries over an intercom.

“Welcome and try not to be alarmed. After this introduction, you will be released to the general population and reunited with your families. We have transported you to a holding facility so we can safely repair your planet. Earth’s core was about to destroy itself and all of you would have gone with it if we didn’t intercede. The repairs should only be a few more weeks of your time, at which we will return you back where you were picked up.”

Doors opened and in streamed a mass of humans all dressed in white, holding some form of tablets.

“These people will help you get settled and answer any questions you might have.”

I was saved from panicking by my father’s smile, which was beaming as he approached me.